As most college football fans know by now, the Red River Rivalry between the (20) Oklahoma Sooners and (3) Texas Longhorns occurs this week at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. With a win, Texas should vault back over Alabama into the #2 spot in the polls, with a loss they could have to start over from scratch and win out to have a chance at the Big 12 title game. For the Sooners, the situation is must-win. After losses to BYU and Miami, both without Sam Bradford, Oklahoma is scrambling to keep a spot in the polls. With a win, Bob Stoops' team has a outside chance of reaching the BCS, with a loss the BCS and most likely the Big 12 Championship Game are out of reach. With WR Ryan Broyles returning to the lineup this week, the Sooners are in position to win the game but, Texas QB Colt McCoy will be too much and Texas will continue their march to the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena.
Prediction: Texas 17, Oklahoma 9
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH:
(12) Iowa @ Wisconsin (12:00, ESPN)
Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes are undefeated going into Camp Randall this weekend. With wins over Michigan and Penn State, Iowa's wins are legit, but a win on the road against an underrated Badger team would seal the deal. Wisconsin is coming off a loss in Columbus to Ohio State and the best remedy to get over that loss is a big upset win at home.
Prediction: Iowa 27, Wisconsin 21
(4) Virginia Tech @ (19) Georgia Tech (6:00, ESPN2)
Paul Johnson's triple-option offense has given opposing defenses fits this season, except for Miami and this week against the Hokies. Frank Beamer's team is on a mission to win the ACC and maybe even the national championship this season and will not falter in Atlanta against the option. Ryan Williams is the nation's #5 rusher and will give the Yellow Jacket defense a lot of trouble. Paired with the air attack of Tyrod Taylor and the defense and special teams of the Hokies, they are a complete team this year and no one is stopping them right now.
Prediction: Va Tech 35, Ga Tech 18
(22) South Carolina @ (2) Alabama (7:45, ESPN)
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa will be going crazy Saturday night because it is Alabama's biggest conference game of the year, so far. Steve Spurrier's Gamecock team has been very impressive ever since their win against Ole Miss at home last month. Stephen Garcia has shown maturity and improvement in his game. For the Crimson Tide, Mark Ingram and the entire gorund game is on fire. All Greg McElroy has to do is complete 15-25 passes and they will win. But not this week, McElroy will have to step up and prove to Tide fans that he is capable of winning big games. This game will go down to the wire, but the Tide pull it out in the end on a Leigh Tiffin field goal.
Prediction: Alabama 26, South Carolina 24
UPSET ALERT OF THE WEEK
(6) USC @ (25) Notre Dame (3:30, NBC)
The Showdown in South Bend between the Trojans and the Irish will be a classic. Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen need to prove to their respective fan bases that they are for real and they can lead their team to BCS game. In Barkley's case he has already beaten Ohio State in Columbus and with a win in South Bend on Saturday, he could possibly throw his hat in the Heisman race and give USC the edge to win the Pac-10. For Clausen and the Irish its all about winning out and reaching a BCS game. Clausen's main weapon, Golden Tate will continue his amazing streak of receiving games, last game Tate caught over 200 yards. Without the Clausen-Tate combination being stopped, USC has no chance which is why Notre Dame will win.
Prediction: Notre Dame 37, USC 28
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
NLCS Preview
As the uneventful NLDS series concluded, it gave both the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers a chance to rest up for a rematch of last year's NLCS. That is where the similarities stop. This season, the Dodgers have a more potent offense and their starting pitching has improved plus they have home-field advantage this season. The Phillies' season has been plagued by issues in the bullpen as well as in the rotation where last year's World Series MVP, Cole Hamels has had an off year.
So here it is, my preview for the 2009 NLCS:
STARTING ROTATION:
Advantage: Phillies
With the midseason additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia gained two valuable assets to their roster. Add to that, rookie of the year candidate J.A. Happ and Hamels and the Phils have the clear advantage over L.A.'s rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Hiroki Kuroda, and Randy Wolf.
BULLPEN:
Advantage: Dodgers
The firepower that exists in the Dodgers' bullpen in one to envy. Righthanders Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Bellisario have proved that they are good set-up men to closer Jonathan Broxton, who reaches 100mph consistently. The key in this series will be the lefties in the bullpen, George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo. Lefties are hitting .152 against Kuo and .128 against Sherill this season. Kuo and Sherrill's matchup against Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will be the most important in the series.
CATCHER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Russell Martin has always been one of the most underrated catchers in the National League. The effort Martin puts out during each game shows he plays every game like he means it. Martin is also a key part of the Dodgers' bottom of the lineup. Martin hit .250 with 7 HR and 53 RBI this season and is hitting .275 against lefties this season, which he will see at least two in Lee and Hamels in the series.
INFIELD:
Advantage: Phillies
The Phillies' infield can no doubt produce power but has also improved greatly on defense this season. Ryan Howard has been the bright spot. Howard has only committed 14 errors this season and his fielding percentage went up 2 points to .990. Howard's improvement complements the rest of the infield of Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, all three of whom have stellar gloves.
In the offensive categories, the Phillies' infield is far and above much better than the Dodgers. The Phillies' starting infielders have hit 109 HR combined this year compared to the Dodgers' starting infield with 50 combined HR.
On defense and offense the Phillies are far better in the infield.
OUTFIELD:
Advantage: Dodgers
If you think off the top of your head you would think that the Phillies' outfield of Ibanez,Victorino, and Werth are better, but the Dodgers' outfield of Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier will be better in the series.
Manny has a flare for the dramatic and with home-field for the first 2 games, every at-bat for #99 will be extremely loud at Dodger Stadium, Manny feeds off of that and should give the Dodgers extra power in the series. Matt Kemp should have been an all-star this season, Kemp but up a .297 average with 26 HR, 101 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. Kemp is an all around player with speed that makes up for Manny's lack of speed in the left-center gap and he has made just 2 errors the whole season and against lefties he his hitting .362 with 8 HR and 25 RBIs. Ethier, like Manny, has a flare for the dramatic in one series at home this year, he had three-straight walk-off hits and will be a dangerous batter to the mostly right-handed Phillies bullpen. Ethier is hitting .307 at home and this season he hit for 31 HR and 106 RBI. When it comes to late-inning heroics the Dodgers can count on their outfield for the big hits.
BENCH:
Advantage: Dodgers
The Dodgers' bench is stock full of postseason veterans. With Brad Ausmus, Mark Loretta, Jim Thome, and Juan Pierre all on the bench, the Dodgers have players to count on in clutch situations. Pierre is arguably the fastest player left in the playoffs, Loretta and Ausmus are professional hitters and can give the Dodgers a boost in the late innings. And then there is Thome, the former Phillie, who is looking for another ring and he needs to come up with a big hit at least once in this series to validate the Dodgers' trade for him in August.
The Phillies' bench is full of utility players that are past their time. Miguel Cairo, Paul Bako, and Matt Stairs are all 35 or older and aren't that dependable. Eric Bruntlett is not a power hitter, all he does good is bunt. Ben Francisco is the only man on the Philly bench that has a chance to shine and make a name for himself, but that won't happen this year with the overflowing talent in the outfield.
MANAGER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Joe Torre won 4 World Series titles with the Yankees and is now on his way to win ring #1 in Los Angeles. Torre has done a brilliant job in getting his bullpen to perform for the lackluster starting rotation. He also has created a team that if one person goes down, he has someone on the bench that can produce.
PREDICTION:
The Dodgers will win the first two games and the Phils' home field in games 3,4,and 5 will give them the confidence to take two at home, but the Dodgers will pull one out in Philly and clinch in Game 6 to avenge the loss from last year and give Torre a chance to face his former team in the World Series.
DODGERS IN 6
So here it is, my preview for the 2009 NLCS:
STARTING ROTATION:
Advantage: Phillies
With the midseason additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia gained two valuable assets to their roster. Add to that, rookie of the year candidate J.A. Happ and Hamels and the Phils have the clear advantage over L.A.'s rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Hiroki Kuroda, and Randy Wolf.
BULLPEN:
Advantage: Dodgers
The firepower that exists in the Dodgers' bullpen in one to envy. Righthanders Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Bellisario have proved that they are good set-up men to closer Jonathan Broxton, who reaches 100mph consistently. The key in this series will be the lefties in the bullpen, George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo. Lefties are hitting .152 against Kuo and .128 against Sherill this season. Kuo and Sherrill's matchup against Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will be the most important in the series.
CATCHER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Russell Martin has always been one of the most underrated catchers in the National League. The effort Martin puts out during each game shows he plays every game like he means it. Martin is also a key part of the Dodgers' bottom of the lineup. Martin hit .250 with 7 HR and 53 RBI this season and is hitting .275 against lefties this season, which he will see at least two in Lee and Hamels in the series.
INFIELD:
Advantage: Phillies
The Phillies' infield can no doubt produce power but has also improved greatly on defense this season. Ryan Howard has been the bright spot. Howard has only committed 14 errors this season and his fielding percentage went up 2 points to .990. Howard's improvement complements the rest of the infield of Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, all three of whom have stellar gloves.
In the offensive categories, the Phillies' infield is far and above much better than the Dodgers. The Phillies' starting infielders have hit 109 HR combined this year compared to the Dodgers' starting infield with 50 combined HR.
On defense and offense the Phillies are far better in the infield.
OUTFIELD:
Advantage: Dodgers
If you think off the top of your head you would think that the Phillies' outfield of Ibanez,Victorino, and Werth are better, but the Dodgers' outfield of Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier will be better in the series.
Manny has a flare for the dramatic and with home-field for the first 2 games, every at-bat for #99 will be extremely loud at Dodger Stadium, Manny feeds off of that and should give the Dodgers extra power in the series. Matt Kemp should have been an all-star this season, Kemp but up a .297 average with 26 HR, 101 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. Kemp is an all around player with speed that makes up for Manny's lack of speed in the left-center gap and he has made just 2 errors the whole season and against lefties he his hitting .362 with 8 HR and 25 RBIs. Ethier, like Manny, has a flare for the dramatic in one series at home this year, he had three-straight walk-off hits and will be a dangerous batter to the mostly right-handed Phillies bullpen. Ethier is hitting .307 at home and this season he hit for 31 HR and 106 RBI. When it comes to late-inning heroics the Dodgers can count on their outfield for the big hits.
BENCH:
Advantage: Dodgers
The Dodgers' bench is stock full of postseason veterans. With Brad Ausmus, Mark Loretta, Jim Thome, and Juan Pierre all on the bench, the Dodgers have players to count on in clutch situations. Pierre is arguably the fastest player left in the playoffs, Loretta and Ausmus are professional hitters and can give the Dodgers a boost in the late innings. And then there is Thome, the former Phillie, who is looking for another ring and he needs to come up with a big hit at least once in this series to validate the Dodgers' trade for him in August.
The Phillies' bench is full of utility players that are past their time. Miguel Cairo, Paul Bako, and Matt Stairs are all 35 or older and aren't that dependable. Eric Bruntlett is not a power hitter, all he does good is bunt. Ben Francisco is the only man on the Philly bench that has a chance to shine and make a name for himself, but that won't happen this year with the overflowing talent in the outfield.
MANAGER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Joe Torre won 4 World Series titles with the Yankees and is now on his way to win ring #1 in Los Angeles. Torre has done a brilliant job in getting his bullpen to perform for the lackluster starting rotation. He also has created a team that if one person goes down, he has someone on the bench that can produce.
PREDICTION:
The Dodgers will win the first two games and the Phils' home field in games 3,4,and 5 will give them the confidence to take two at home, but the Dodgers will pull one out in Philly and clinch in Game 6 to avenge the loss from last year and give Torre a chance to face his former team in the World Series.
DODGERS IN 6
Friday, October 9, 2009
Tebow or No Tebow, Gators Will Face Challenge in Bayou
The decision on rather the best player in the college game will play Saturday for his (1) Florida Gators in Baton Rouge against the (4) LSU Tigers is still to be determined. It would not surprise me if the decision comes an hour or even less before game time to keep Les Miles' team on edge on whether Tim Tebow will start. But the storylines of the most anticipated game of the year so far run much deeper. LSU played a cupcake schedule going into last week's game in Athens against Georgia. The Tigers barely survived the upset and now have the home crowd behind them as they are possibly contending for the #1 ranking in next week's polls with an impressive win.
On the other side of the ball, the Gators are coming off a bye, and a much needed one due to Tebow's injury. Although the public does not know if either Tebow or John Brantley will start, I believe that Urban Meyer already knows that Tebow is good and just does not want to reveal it to the public. Whether or not Tebow plays, the Gators will face the first real threat to their #1 ranking tommorrow night in Baton Rouge.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
(3) Alabama @ (20) Ole Miss (3:30 CBS)
The Tide face their first real road test of the season and are fully capable of coming out of Oxford with a win. The confidence QB Greg McElroy has shown throughout the season so far has been far from what people expected. The Rebels are trying to prove themselves to the nation after an upset loss @ South Carolina a few weeks back. Jevan Snead and the Rebels have recovered with wins after the loss but need to win the game on Saturday if they have any chance at contending for the SEC title.
(15) Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M (12:30)
The Aggies are coming off a huge loss at the hands of Arkansas last week in Dallas and Jerrod Johnson and crew are looking for a big win to get their season back on track and have the perfect circumstances for one: Oklahoma State's best player, WR Dez Bryant, was declared ineligible for a rules violation this week by the NCAA and the crowd at Kyle Field will be loud and a distraction, as it always is, for the Big 12 South showdown in College Station.
Wisconsin @ (9) Ohio State (3:30 ABC)
For some strange reason, the Badgers are 5-0, and not ranked. With a win at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Wisconsin will defintely be ranked. With the surprising play of QB Scott Tolzien and the breakout season from RB John Clay, including a 184 yard day at Minnesota last week. For the Buckeyes, the consistency that they have shown since the loss to USC has given their fans hope that they can still make the Rose Bowl this season. There should be no excuse for Terrelle Pryor and the Bucks not to be pumped up for the big game at the Horseshoe.
UPSET ALERT
(17) Auburn @ Arkansas (12:00, ESPN)
Auburn takes their undefeated record and new-found confidence in SEC play after beating Tennessee in Knoxville last weekend, to Fayetteville where Ryan Mallett and his high-powered offense are waiting for them. After their dominant performance in Dallas against Texas A&M last weekend, the Razorbacks have the perfect recipe for spoiling Auburn's 5-0 start.
On the other side of the ball, the Gators are coming off a bye, and a much needed one due to Tebow's injury. Although the public does not know if either Tebow or John Brantley will start, I believe that Urban Meyer already knows that Tebow is good and just does not want to reveal it to the public. Whether or not Tebow plays, the Gators will face the first real threat to their #1 ranking tommorrow night in Baton Rouge.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
(3) Alabama @ (20) Ole Miss (3:30 CBS)
The Tide face their first real road test of the season and are fully capable of coming out of Oxford with a win. The confidence QB Greg McElroy has shown throughout the season so far has been far from what people expected. The Rebels are trying to prove themselves to the nation after an upset loss @ South Carolina a few weeks back. Jevan Snead and the Rebels have recovered with wins after the loss but need to win the game on Saturday if they have any chance at contending for the SEC title.
(15) Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M (12:30)
The Aggies are coming off a huge loss at the hands of Arkansas last week in Dallas and Jerrod Johnson and crew are looking for a big win to get their season back on track and have the perfect circumstances for one: Oklahoma State's best player, WR Dez Bryant, was declared ineligible for a rules violation this week by the NCAA and the crowd at Kyle Field will be loud and a distraction, as it always is, for the Big 12 South showdown in College Station.
Wisconsin @ (9) Ohio State (3:30 ABC)
For some strange reason, the Badgers are 5-0, and not ranked. With a win at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Wisconsin will defintely be ranked. With the surprising play of QB Scott Tolzien and the breakout season from RB John Clay, including a 184 yard day at Minnesota last week. For the Buckeyes, the consistency that they have shown since the loss to USC has given their fans hope that they can still make the Rose Bowl this season. There should be no excuse for Terrelle Pryor and the Bucks not to be pumped up for the big game at the Horseshoe.
UPSET ALERT
(17) Auburn @ Arkansas (12:00, ESPN)
Auburn takes their undefeated record and new-found confidence in SEC play after beating Tennessee in Knoxville last weekend, to Fayetteville where Ryan Mallett and his high-powered offense are waiting for them. After their dominant performance in Dallas against Texas A&M last weekend, the Razorbacks have the perfect recipe for spoiling Auburn's 5-0 start.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Postseason Wrap- October 7
The first three games of the 2009 postseason were as impressive as the game the night before that concluded the regular season but it showed fans what to expect during the course of the playoffs.
Phillies 5-1 Rockies
Phillies up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Cliff Lee is for real. Although he went into a slump in September after his spectacular results after the trade from the Indians in July, Lee proved to his team and to Philadelphia fans that h should have started Game 1 instead of Cole Hamels. Lee pitched a complete game giving up 6 hits and 1 run, while striking out five.
STAT OF THE GAME:
Every single Phillie in the lineup including Lee had at least one base hit in the game. The 4-5-6 combo of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez all had 2 hits in the win.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
In Thursday's Game 2, the Phils will throw 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and the Rockies will counter with Aaron Cook. Look for the same lineups from each team but possibly a different outcome, Cook has postseason experience from 2007 and will not be afraid of the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Dodgers 5-3 Cardinals
Dodgers up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
The Dodgers will not pitch to Albert Pujols if there are runners on base. Pujols was intentionally walked by Randy Wolf in his first two at-bats. Joe Torre would obviously have his pitchers face Matt Holliday over Pujols because in the 1st inning he had Wolf walk Pujols to load the bases.
STAT OF THE GAME:
30 runners were left on base combined in the game. In a game that featured 23 hits and 13 walks, you would think the score would be more than 5-3, but not in this case. The teams set a postseason in Game 1 with the 30 LOB.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
Adam Wainwright vs. Clayton Kershaw. This matchup of two of the games best young pitchers will by far be the topic of discussion going into Game 2. Wainwright went 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA this season and is a Cy Young candidate, while Kershaw is coming off a 10-strikeout performance in his last start against Colorado.
Yankees 7-2 Twins
Yankees up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Derek Jeter is the captain for a reason. After going down 2-0 in the 3rd, Jeter came back and hit a 2-run homer off of Twins' starter Brian Duensing and the Yankees never looked back. Jeter went 2-for-2, scored 3 runs, and had 2 RBIs
STAT OF THE GAME:
Yankees bullpen: 2.1 IP, 2H, 4 K
When Phil Hughes entered the game in the top of the 7th, Hughes came on and struck out Orlando Cabrera with runners on 2nd and 3rd. After Hughes finished his 2/3 inning of work, Phil Coke came on and got Jason Kubel to line out to Mark Texeira, then Joba Chamberlain got Delmon Young to ground out. Surprisingly, Mariano Rivera came out to pitch the 9th in a non-save situation and closed the game out for the Yanks.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
A day off for the Twins. If the Twins have any chance of taking Game 2 at Yankee Stadium, they need to do nothing today and just rest. After the marathon 12-inning game against Detroit on Tuesday, everyone could that Twins had no life in them by the later stage of the game.
Phillies 5-1 Rockies
Phillies up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Cliff Lee is for real. Although he went into a slump in September after his spectacular results after the trade from the Indians in July, Lee proved to his team and to Philadelphia fans that h should have started Game 1 instead of Cole Hamels. Lee pitched a complete game giving up 6 hits and 1 run, while striking out five.
STAT OF THE GAME:
Every single Phillie in the lineup including Lee had at least one base hit in the game. The 4-5-6 combo of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez all had 2 hits in the win.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
In Thursday's Game 2, the Phils will throw 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and the Rockies will counter with Aaron Cook. Look for the same lineups from each team but possibly a different outcome, Cook has postseason experience from 2007 and will not be afraid of the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Dodgers 5-3 Cardinals
Dodgers up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
The Dodgers will not pitch to Albert Pujols if there are runners on base. Pujols was intentionally walked by Randy Wolf in his first two at-bats. Joe Torre would obviously have his pitchers face Matt Holliday over Pujols because in the 1st inning he had Wolf walk Pujols to load the bases.
STAT OF THE GAME:
30 runners were left on base combined in the game. In a game that featured 23 hits and 13 walks, you would think the score would be more than 5-3, but not in this case. The teams set a postseason in Game 1 with the 30 LOB.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
Adam Wainwright vs. Clayton Kershaw. This matchup of two of the games best young pitchers will by far be the topic of discussion going into Game 2. Wainwright went 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA this season and is a Cy Young candidate, while Kershaw is coming off a 10-strikeout performance in his last start against Colorado.
Yankees 7-2 Twins
Yankees up 1-0
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Derek Jeter is the captain for a reason. After going down 2-0 in the 3rd, Jeter came back and hit a 2-run homer off of Twins' starter Brian Duensing and the Yankees never looked back. Jeter went 2-for-2, scored 3 runs, and had 2 RBIs
STAT OF THE GAME:
Yankees bullpen: 2.1 IP, 2H, 4 K
When Phil Hughes entered the game in the top of the 7th, Hughes came on and struck out Orlando Cabrera with runners on 2nd and 3rd. After Hughes finished his 2/3 inning of work, Phil Coke came on and got Jason Kubel to line out to Mark Texeira, then Joba Chamberlain got Delmon Young to ground out. Surprisingly, Mariano Rivera came out to pitch the 9th in a non-save situation and closed the game out for the Yanks.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
A day off for the Twins. If the Twins have any chance of taking Game 2 at Yankee Stadium, they need to do nothing today and just rest. After the marathon 12-inning game against Detroit on Tuesday, everyone could that Twins had no life in them by the later stage of the game.
Monday, October 5, 2009
College Football Review- Week 5
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
UTEP 58, (12) Houston 41
In this Texas shootout at the Sun Bowl Saturday night, the Miners ruined the Cougars' chance being a BCS buster this year with a huge win. In a defensive coordinator's nightmare, with 1,249 total yards put up by both teams. UTEP ended up winning the game with large gains on the ground from Donald Buckram, who ran for 262 yards and 4 touchdowns.
BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK:
(7) USC 30, (24) Cal 3
Although the score may not represent a huge difference in the score, the Trojans were dominant all night as they fended off the possibility that they would be out of Rose Bowl contention by losing in Berkeley. The Bears are now in that situation described above. With star RB Jahvid Best not performing in the last two games, the Bears have not found a different source of scoring and have only 9 points in 2 games to prove it.
Heisman Watch
1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
With a bye week, McCoy and his Longhorns sat at home and watched archrival Oklahoma lose their second game. Next up is Colorado at home before the Red River Shootout.
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow also had a week off and got to recover from his concussion suffered at Kentucky. Tebow's first big game of the season, if he plays, is in Baton Rouge against LSU in primetime Saturday.
3. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
Pike continued his stellar season in a win over Miami, OH on Saturday. Pike and the Bearcats have off this week going into a game in Tampa against South Florida on the 15th.
4. Jacory Harris, QB, Miami, FL
Harris helped the Hurricanes maintain their footing this season and upset Oklahoma. Harris proved he was able to recover from his horrendous showing in Blacksburg last week and improve the Canes to 3-1.
5. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Although his team lost and we probably will not hear much about him for the rest of the year, Keenum threw for 536 yards and 5 touchdowns against UTEP.
AP Top 10.....................................My Top 10
1. Florida.......................................1. Florida
2. Texas.........................................2. Texas
3. Alabama....................................3. LSU
4. LSU............................................4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech............................5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State................................6. Virginia Tech
7. USC............................................7. USC
8. Cincinnati.................................8. Ohio State
9. Ohio State................................9. Miami
10. TCU.........................................10. Kansas
UTEP 58, (12) Houston 41
In this Texas shootout at the Sun Bowl Saturday night, the Miners ruined the Cougars' chance being a BCS buster this year with a huge win. In a defensive coordinator's nightmare, with 1,249 total yards put up by both teams. UTEP ended up winning the game with large gains on the ground from Donald Buckram, who ran for 262 yards and 4 touchdowns.
BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK:
(7) USC 30, (24) Cal 3
Although the score may not represent a huge difference in the score, the Trojans were dominant all night as they fended off the possibility that they would be out of Rose Bowl contention by losing in Berkeley. The Bears are now in that situation described above. With star RB Jahvid Best not performing in the last two games, the Bears have not found a different source of scoring and have only 9 points in 2 games to prove it.
Heisman Watch
1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
With a bye week, McCoy and his Longhorns sat at home and watched archrival Oklahoma lose their second game. Next up is Colorado at home before the Red River Shootout.
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow also had a week off and got to recover from his concussion suffered at Kentucky. Tebow's first big game of the season, if he plays, is in Baton Rouge against LSU in primetime Saturday.
3. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
Pike continued his stellar season in a win over Miami, OH on Saturday. Pike and the Bearcats have off this week going into a game in Tampa against South Florida on the 15th.
4. Jacory Harris, QB, Miami, FL
Harris helped the Hurricanes maintain their footing this season and upset Oklahoma. Harris proved he was able to recover from his horrendous showing in Blacksburg last week and improve the Canes to 3-1.
5. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Although his team lost and we probably will not hear much about him for the rest of the year, Keenum threw for 536 yards and 5 touchdowns against UTEP.
AP Top 10.....................................My Top 10
1. Florida.......................................1. Florida
2. Texas.........................................2. Texas
3. Alabama....................................3. LSU
4. LSU............................................4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech............................5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State................................6. Virginia Tech
7. USC............................................7. USC
8. Cincinnati.................................8. Ohio State
9. Ohio State................................9. Miami
10. TCU.........................................10. Kansas
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